Posts Tagged ‘hyundai mileage’

The Mini Cooper's mileage numbers have gotten a downgrade from the EPA.

Mini has become the latest in a line of automakers who have had to admit they were overstating their fuel economy numbers.

The British marque’s 2014 Mini Cooper actually gets anywhere from one to four miles per gallon less than originally claimed. The BMW subsidiary’s error follows in the tire tracks of Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Hyundai and Kia, all of which also have had to roll back their mileage claims.

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Meanwhile, many consumers groups continue to complain that they’re routinely seeing real world numbers that lag what manufacturers post on their Monroney window stickers and use in their advertising. That’s leading to stricter enforcement and likely changes to testing procedures by the Environmental Protection Agency which oversees fuel economy regulations.

The Hyundai Elantra was one of the vehicles for which Hyundai had to restate mileage.

Hyundai has agreed to a settlement ending an embarrassing episode triggered by the revelation the maker had overstated its fuel economy numbers.

Sibling Korean brand Kia also is expected to reach an agreement over similar claims. The two makers last November acknowledged inflating the mileage claims for 13 models by as much as six miles per gallon.

While not all details have been released, Hyundai apparently has agreed to offer owners of vehicles covered by the lawsuits to take a lump-sum payment covering the additional costs they can expect to incur as a result of lower-than-expected mileage.

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After confirming it had misstated its fuel economy and quickly apologizing, Hyundai – and Kia – last year offered to reimburse owners on an annual basis, adding another 15% for “goodwill.” But that approach would have required motorists to go to a dealer each year to have their odometers checked.

Ford Motor Co. is facing a class action lawsuit alleging the maker’s mileage claims for two new hybrid models are “false and misleading.”

The maker has made fuel economy a major part of its advertising pitch for new products, notably including the 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid models. But its official ratings have come in for criticism, notably from such influential sources as Consumer Reports magazine.

But Ford is by no means alone. Korean siblings Kia and Hyundai recently had to roll back their own mileage numbers by as much as 6 mpg after conceding they fudged the official government testing process.

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“In its advertising and marketing campaign for the vehicles, Ford claimed that the C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid achieved a class leading 47 Miles Per Gallon,” reads part of the lawsuit filed by California-based law firm McCuneWright. “These materials helped Ford achieve record sales for the first two months of C-MAX Hybrid sales, outselling its rival, hybrid sales leader Toyota, but there was a problem. These ads were false.”

The Hybrid version of the 2013 Ford Fusion is facing an EPA review because of concerns about its 47/47/47 mpg claims.

The Environmental Protection Agency is stepping in to review mileage claims for two of Ford Motor Co.’s two newest hybrid models.

The move was triggered by a report from Consumer Reports magazine that the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford C-Max Hybrid delivered substantially lower fuel economy than the maker has widely promoted in its advertising. The federal agency has become particularly sensitive to the issue following the discovery that South Korean carmakers Kia and Hyundai fudged the fuel economy figures for 13 of their own products.

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According to Consumer Reports, after 2,000 miles of driving the two Ford hybrids got as little as 35 miles per gallon in city driving, 12 mpg lower than Ford claims, while the two models fell short on the highway and combined driving cycle tests, as well. The C-Max and Fusion gas-electric models are rated at 47/47/47 mpg.

Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia seem to have survived the court of public opinion, sales holding up well despite the flap over false fuel economy claims – but their troubles are far from over, with a Senate committee threatening to call company officials to testify.

Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is asking for more information about how Hyundai and Kia intend to satisfy consumers who purchased vehicles from the two South Korean companies impacted by the fuel economy ratings scandal.

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In a letter to John Krafcik, the president and chief executive of Hyundai Motors America, Rockefeller asked for detailed answers to questions about the company’s “Miles Per Gallon” window sticker claims which were proved to be false after an audit by the Environmental Protection Agency. The letter contained a warning that Hyundai and Kia could face Congressional hearings, something which every carmaker dreads.

The maker earlier this month admitted it had overstated the mileage of 900,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. – as did its sibling brand Kia. In some cases, the two brands were forced to reduce the ratings of models like the Kia Soul by as much as 6 mpg.

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Hyundai faces some hefty fines, the threat of lawsuits and the millions of dollars it has offered to reimburse affected owners. A number of analysts, meanwhile, have warned the flap could have a strongly negative impact on Kia’s record-pace sales. But Krafcik insisted that isn’t happening.

As more high-mileage models, such as the 2013 Nissan Altima, roll into showrooms, the nation's fuel economy average is rising to record levels.

The mileage of the average vehicles sold in the U.S. last month hit an all-time record, according to a new study, even though fuel prices fell across most of the country.

The increase comes despite adjusting for the fact that Hyundai and Kia had to reduce the stated mileage of 13 different models they’ve sold in the U.S. since 2010 in the wake of an EPA Audit. The federal agency, TheDetroitBureau.com today reported, may audit other manufacturers to see if they have overstated fuel economy numbers, as well.

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The typical vehicle sold in the U.S. in October had an average fuel economy of 24.1 miles per gallon, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. That’s up 17% from the average in October 2007 when UMTRI became tracking mileage.

Those Kia Hamsters apparently fudged the mileage numbers on the Soul and other models.

Watch TV for more than an hour in prime time; pick up a newspaper or magazine; or check the ads that pop up while you’re searching the web. Odds are you’re bombarded with ads pitching the latest fuel economy numbers from one manufacturer or another.

“Mileage has become the number one concern of American motorists,” Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields noted earlier this year.

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But are those numbers valid? That’s the question motorists – and regulators – are left wondering in the wake of the revelation, last week, that Korean makers Hyundai and Kia had inflated their own mileage figures by as much as 6 mpg on 13 separate models. The Environmental Protection Agency is apparently getting ready to review other makers’ mileage claims. Meanwhile, even numbers that meet government scrutiny are coming under question because of the way the industry is promoting mileage in advertising.

At the center of a debate over mileage claims: the 2012 Hyundai Elantra.

Hyundai Motor America has emerged as the U.S. auto market’s fuel economy leader. In fact, a new report from TrueCar.com, an automotive research firm, indicates Hyundai was instrumental in boosting the mileage of the typical vehicle sold in June to 23.0 mpg in June 2012 compared to 21.6 mpg in June 2011.

Hyundai’s own average mileage was 27.7 mpg in June, the highest in the industry. The maker notably claims it now has five models delivering better than 40 miles per gallon on the highway based on EPA-approved numbers.

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But has Hyundai actually rigged the deck? That’s what a new lawsuit is alleging. The maker has been tagged in a lawsuit by an organization calling itself Consumer Watchdog filed by Cuneo Gilbert and LaDuca LLP of Santa Monica. They claim the Korean carmaker has used misleading fuel economy claims in its advertising.

The new 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe with the already wildly popular Elantra sedan.

What do you do when you’re already short of cars to sell – as is the enviable problem faced by Hyundai with the compact Elantra model? How about adding a couple new variants likely to stimulate even more demand.

The Korean carmaker is clearly on a roll, with sales setting yet another new record for 2011, largely driven by demand for the Elantra, the original version of the sedan winning the North American Car of the Year trophy just last month.

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Now, the maker is offering potential buyers even more options, adding both a new Elantra Coupe and a sporty 5-door Elantra GT model for 2013. That will have Hyundai offering more distinct variants of the popular Elantra line than any competitor in the compact segment.